Hospital Niño Jesús launches Spain's first childhood leukemia research unit

The Hospital Universitario Niño Jesús in Madrid has launched UNILEU, Spain’s first comprehensive research unit dedicated to childhood leukemia. The initiative aims to personalize treatments by integrating deep biological studies with clinical practice, covering the entire patient journey from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship.

Supported by a 2-million-euro investment from the Fundación Unoentrecienmil over five years, the unit will utilize a centralized 'data lake' to store clinical and biological information. This repository will be accessible to researchers in Spain and internationally to advance global knowledge of the disease.

UNILEU will also spearhead national projects, including Cunina, focused on prevention, and ReALLNet, a national network for monitoring relapses. Additionally, the unit will centralize approximately 50% of the testing required for the European ALLTogether protocol across Spanish hospitals. Childhood leukemia remains the most frequent pediatric cancer in Spain, with approximately 380 diagnoses annually among those under 20.